HEADLINES

2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors

NFC North Rumors: Flynn, Pryor, Lee, Brown

April 10th, 2014 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have long been interested in a reunion with quarterback Matt Flynn, but things remain at a standstill, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media. While a signing could still take place, General Manager Ted Thompson doesn’t like eating up cap room on backup quarterbacks and he’s also not swayed by Green Bay being one of only four NFL teams with fewer than three quarterbacks on their offseason roster. Here’s more out of the NFC North..

  • Louisville safety Calvin Pryor made a recent pre-draft visit to the Bears, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Pryor and Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are widely considered the two best safeties in this year’s draft.
  • USC standout wide receiver Marqise Lee has visited with the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year has also visited with the Ravens and Jets and will meet with the Panthers and Saints in the future.
  • Louisville’s Preston Brown will attend the Vikings‘ top 30 event next week, a league source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The linebacker met with the Bills yesterday.

East Rumors: CJ2K, Pats, Redskins, Bills

April 10th, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent running back Chris Johnson could be very useful for a team that’s very close to contending, but the Cowboys aren’t and therefore wouldn’t have much use for him, writes Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. We heard earlier today that there hasn’t been a ton of movement on Johnson, partially because NFL teams and Johnson himself appear to be divided on his market value. More out of the AFC and NFC East..

  • In his latest mailbag, Erik Frenz of the Boston Globe opines that Dominique Easley has the look of a future Patriots defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 288 pound Florida product boasts a quick burst off the snap which allows him to make plays in the backfield. The only problem with Easley, Frenz explains, is that he is primarily a one-gap defensive tackle, not the two-gap, read-and-react style of lineman the Patriots have targeted in the past.
  • Anthony Armstrong left Washington D.C. without a deal after his workout today with the Redskins, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. The wide receiver, who hasn’t suited up for the Redskins since the 2011 season, did not appear in an NFL game last season.
  • Meanwhile, former Colts and Patriots wide receiver Austin Collie had a tryout with the Redskins, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports. Towards the end of March we heard that a return to New England was still in the cards for Collie.
  • Bills GM Doug Whaley and coach Doug Marrone are not only open to keeping two kickers, but they also might already be leaning that way, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “If Dustin [Hopkins] can put the ball back there consistently, and if we can take that return play away,” Marrone said, “and Dan [Carpenter]‘s not at that higher percentage, then I have no problem with [keeping two kickers].”

Pompei’s Latest: Chris Johnson, Draft, Bills

April 10th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Saints, and the injury could result in him missing his rookie season and dropping precipitously in the draft. It could also inspire agents to rethink whether they’ll allow their clients to work out for teams before the draft, as Dan Pompei writes in his latest Bleacher Report column.

“Why should we do it?” said one agent. “They have seen maybe 30 games on tape. They have seen them at the Senior Bowl. They have seen them at the combine. Why do they have to see them again and risk something like this happening?”

Here are a few more notes from Pompei’s piece:

  • There hasn’t been a ton of activity on Chris Johnson since he hit the free agent market, in part because NFL teams and the running back himself appear to be divided on his market value.
  • All three teams picking in the top three of the draft have indicated an openness to trade down, according to Pompei, who says the Jaguars have put out feelers about the No. 3 pick.
  • While all of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft board have some question marks, Blake Bortles seems to inspire more confidence around the league than the alternatives, which could make him the first QB off the board next month, says Pompei.
  • On the other hand, Teddy Bridgewater has seen his stock slide a little since an underwhelming Pro Day, with one scouting director ranking him behind Derek Carr. However, Bridgewater is viewed as perhaps the best fit for the Texans, who hold the first overall pick.
  • People around the NFL expect a Jon Bon Jovi-led group to make a push to buy the Bills. That group could include Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment executives Larry Tanenbaum and Tim Leiweke.

Extra Points: Bush, Dalton, Draft Visits

April 10th, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints recently matched the Falcons‘ offer sheet for Rafael Bush, and as is the case with many offer sheets, the structure of the deal is a little unusual. There are no signing, workout, or roster bonuses on Bush’s two-year contract, which features base salaries of $1.85MM and $1.95MM, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $850K of that first-year salary is fully guaranteed and $350K is deferred until March 31, 2015. Wilson adds (via Twitter) that Bush can also earn up to $750K in incentives if he makes the Pro Bowl and grabs a certain number of interceptions in 2015, so the deal can max out at $4.55MM.

Here’s more from across the NFL:

  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an in-depth look at Andy Dalton’s contract situation and explores whether or not the Bengals should commit to paying him $15MM per year. Ultimately, Corry suggests that the team would be better off suspending negotiating with its quarterback for now.
  • The Steelers are hosting three players on pre-draft visits today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter): Washington State safety Deone Bucannon, Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier and UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt.
  • Wyoming wide receiver Robert Herron met with the Saints yesterday and today on a pre-draft visit, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Herron reportedly worked out for the Panthers last week.
  • The Redskins are hosting Scott Crichton on a pre-draft visit, according to Rapoport, who notes (via Twitter) that the Oregon State defensive end has already worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Panthers.
  • Connecticut edge defender Jesse Joseph is among the players working out for the Eagles today, tweets Aaron Wilson.
  • Bloomsburg defensive end Larry Webster has several more visits on the docket in addition to the ones we heard about last month. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets that the Eagles, Jets, and Giants will meet with Webster, while the Chargers will work him out.
  • According to Pauline (via Twitter), Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo worked out Colorado State center Weston Richburg, who is likely to be a second-day pick.

Titans Rumors: Schofield, Talley, Pryor

April 10th, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans remain in the midst of the first week of the post-Chris Johnson era in Tennessee, and it sounds like the team is keeping busy in the days since parting with the franchise’s third all-time leading rusher. Here’s a round-up of the latest out of Tennessee:

  • Linebacker O’Brien Schofield, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants early in free agency before it fell apart, paid a visit to the Titans, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, although Schofield failed his physical with the Giants, he passed one with Tennessee.
  • The Titans hosted several more free agents yesterday, as defensive end Ronald Talley was in town, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The Cardinals decided not to offer Talley a contract tender last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
  • Former Brown Alex Hall also visited the Titans on Wednesday, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Hall, who worked out for the Cardinals back in January, racked up 16 sacks in the CFL last season.
  • Finally, ex-Bengals defensive lineman DeQuin Evans visited the Titans yesterday as well, tweets Wyatt.
  • We heard earlier today that the Titans met with safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but he’s not the only young safety the club is eyeing. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweeted last night that Calvin Pryor is among Tennessee’s pre-draft visitors, while Wyatt confirmed today (via Twitter) that the visit happened recently.

AFC East Notes: Pats, McCarron, Jets, Bills

April 10th, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few brief items out of the AFC East….

  • Before heading to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron visited the Patriots yesterday, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
  • Jets offensive line coach Mike Devlin is at Bloomsburg’s Pro Day to work out offensive tackle Matt Feiler and guard Brian Clarke, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
  • We knew that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would be visiting the Bills today, but the team also announced that it’s hosting two other draft prospects — Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb and Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines.
  • The contract signed by punter Jake Dombrowski with the Bills is a three-year, minimum-salary pact with no bonuses, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Dombrowski will provide competition this summer for incumbent punter Brian Moorman.

NFC Notes: Suh, Graham, Cardinals, Draft

April 10th, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Lions running back Reggie Bush speculated today that Ndamukong Suh‘s absence from the team’s offseason workouts may be contract-related, but as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, Suh has made a habit of skipping these workouts in past seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported (via Twitter) that Suh’s absence wasn’t related to his contract, and head coach Jim Caldwell indicated he knew the defensive tackle wouldn’t be in town for the start of the club’s offseason program (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….

  • Saints GM Mickey Loomis has shot down the notion that the team has to reach some sort of resolution on Jimmy Graham‘s contract situation by April 22, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had originally suggested that the April 22 date represented the deadline for Graham to file a grievance about his franchise-tag position. However, having reviewed the CBA, Florio now admits that Graham actually has three years to challenge his tight end designation, meaning there’s certainly no rush yet for the two sides to strike a deal.
  • Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that he was “shocked” when he heard that offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would hit the open market after the Raiders decided not to franchise him. Veldheer, of course, ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Cards.
  • As he has been doing for the last few weeks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a couple pre-draft visits. According to Wilson, Florida State center Bryan Stork is visiting the Saints today and tomorrow, while Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has met with or worked out for the Falcons, Cardinals, and Colts so far.
  • The contract punter Blake Clingan signed with the Redskins is a two-year deal worth $930K that includes no guaranteed money, tweets Wilson. That makes it a minimum salary pact, with base salaries of $420K (2014) and $510K (2015).

Ravens Links: Clinton-Dix, Rankin, RBs

April 10th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

As the Ravens continue to weigh their options for the No. 17 pick, the team recently hosted Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that Clinton-Dix has also visited the Lions and met with the Titans. As Wilson writes, the young safety would be an excellent addition to Baltimore’s secondary, allowing the club to shift Matt Elam over to strong safety. However, considering Clinton-Dix is viewed as arguably the top defensive back in the draft, there are no guarantees he’ll be available when the Ravens pick 17th overall.

Here’s more out of Baltimore:

  • Add Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin to the list of prospects participating in the Ravens’ local Pro Day, tweets Wilson. Among the other players expected to be in attendance: Wake Forest wideout Michael Campanaro, Towson running back Terrance West, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small.
  • The Ravens’ No. 3 running backs last season totaled just 16 rushing yards on eight carries, and the team is looking to improve on those totals this season, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. With Ray Rice dealing with legal troubles and Bernard Pierce coming off shoulder surgery, that position will be of extra importance. For now, Justin Forsett is penciled into that No. 3 spot, though there’s still time for the team to add more competition to the roster, either in free agency or the draft.
  • Picking just two spots apart in the draft, the Ravens and Steelers may be targeting similar players, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Brown singles out safety Calvin Pryor and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan as prospects who seem to be generating interest from the pair of AFC North rivals.

South Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Falcons

April 9th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars have been at the center of a number of NFL stories this week, with the team reportedly on the verge of signing Alex Mack to a five-year offer sheet and hosting some of 2014’s biggest prospects on pre-draft visits this week. Jacksonville continues to pop up in the news cycle, with the team playing a part in a couple of our late-afternoon updates out of the NFL’s South divisions. Let’s dive in….

  • Offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger, who re-signed with the Chargers today, drew interest from the Jaguars before he agreed to return to San Diego, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It’s not likely that the Jags viewed Ohrnberger and Mack as equal commodities, but perhaps missing out on the former prompted the team to push harder to finalize an offer sheet with the latter.
  • Add LSU running back Jeremy Hill to the list of prospects visiting the Jaguars tomorrow, says Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
  • Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who met with the Jags today, will visit the Texans tomorrow, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Falcons have a visit lined up for next Wednesday with BYU outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills

April 9th, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.

As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….

  • Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
  • All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
  • The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
  • The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
  • Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
  • Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.
Load More Posts